THE predisposition of what appears to be many people these days towards the sexual exploitation of young children can only be described as horrific.

Recent news stories relating to their exploitation in the world of football leads one to the conclusion that where next will the focus of sexual exploitation be aimed?

Any organisations where children gather are targets by what the normal among us would regard strongly as abnormal behaviour by an adult towards a child and disgust us. Parents must be constantly on their guard, as they were when a Government minister recently advocated the lowering of the age of consent to 14.

Apparently, there is no cure for paedophilia. When a paedophile is caught and convicted, drugs can be used to lower their sex drive after the event. This liberal consensus of opinion means that chemical castration is not an option, neither is the death penalty, so where does that leave the victims and potential victims, which is every child?

It is being advocated that sex education classes be inflicted on children from the age of six. I disagree for a variety of reasons and would be more in favour of ‘self-defence’ lessons, that every child from the earliest age should be educated that certain behaviour by others is not acceptable. If they feel it is wrong, then it is wrong, and they should be encouraged to speak openly to an appropriate adult in schools or any organisation where children gather, who is beyond reproach – a person a child can trust and have the confidence to speak to, a person who they know will act in confidence and on their behalf, placed in every school or organisation in the country, whose sole purpose is the wellbeing of every child in their care.

PETER CLARKE Moorhouse Lane, Oxenhope